The in-depth study of Romanian prehistoric ceramics: Late Neolithic/Eneolithic pottery and clay materials from the Foeni Tell-Orthodox cemetery in Timis county

The study aims to analyze pottery samples from the archaeological site Foeni Tell - Orthodox Cemetery, a late Neolithic & early Eneolithic multi-stratified site (three phases, covering the period 4720-4457 cal BC), also inhabited during the Early Bronze Age and Middle Ages. The site is located on the western edge of Foeni (Timis county, Romania), on the eastern bank of the Timisat river. The analyzed samples come from 20 pottery shards, belonging to the Foeni cultural group (4920/4675-4580/4460 cal BC, corresponding to the later period of the Vinca culture, from the end of phase C to the end of phase D), and are representative of the categories (black, red, orange, painted) and types (fine, semi-fine, coarse) pottery associated with the cultural group; also analyzed were soil samples from the site. Complementary techniques were used in the analysis (TG/DTG, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, XRF, XRD and LIBS) to ascertain details regarding production technology and origin of the raw materials used in making the pottery. Results indicate the pottery was based on a high plasticity illite and montmorillonite paste, alongside albite, microcline, analcime, with heavy use of quartz and mica as temper. The clay composition shows an obvious link between the pottery and the local sampled source, implying the local production of Foeni type pottery. The firing temperature is uniform in Foeni pottery, estimated in the range of 550-600 degrees C, with a maximum firing temperature of 600 degrees C, with slightly higher temperatures for painted wares, of up to 620-630 degrees C, with a maximum temperature of 650 degrees C. The sole exception has an estimated firing temperature in excess of 900 degrees C.